MIAMI, Fla. – Protesting what it calls hostile to Black Americans and gays under the policies of Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, the NAACP is urging Blacks and the LGBTQ community to steer clear of the state of Florida.

The nation’s largest and oldest civil rights organization issued a travel advisory on May 20, saying DeSantis’ legislation is targeting Blacks and African-Americans and gays who shouldn’t feel welcome in the state of Florida whether they are visiting or planning to move here.

The NCCAP has blasted DeSantis and the state’s Republican-controlled legislature on banning state funding for public universities and colleges that promote diversity, equity and inclusion programs, rejecting the College Board’s proposal for an Advanced Placement African American History Studies course in high schools and Stop W.O.K.E. Act.

The Act prohibits instruction that could make students feel responsibility, guilt or anguished for what other members of their race did in the past including past White Supremacy and slavery, has caused a lot of confusion for schools administrators on what to teach students about African American and American History.

In addition, DeSantis and his allies have banned about 175 school textbooks that touch on race, sexuality and sexual orientation and gender identity that are not consistent with the governor’s Don’t Say Gay bill and Stop W.O.K.E. ACT.

Critics said the Act and attack on diversity programs are attempts to whitewashing American history and silence Black history.

The NAACP said DeSantis’ latest policy on banning funding for diversity programs was the last straw and issued the travel advisory.

“On a seeming quest to silence African-American voices, the Governor and the State of Florida have shown that African Americans are not welcome in the State of Florida,” the travel advisory reads. “Due to this sustained, blatant, relentless and systemic attack on democracy and civil rights, the NAACP hereby issues a travel advisory to African Americans, and other people of color regarding the hostility towards African Americans in Florida."

NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said failing to teach an accurate representation of the horrors and inequalities that Black Americans have faced and continue to face is a disservice to students and a dereliction of duty to all people.

"He [DeSantis] should know that democracy will prevail because its defenders are prepared to stand up and fight," Johnson said in a statement. "We’re not backing down, and we encourage our allies to join us in the battle for the soul of our nation."

The travel advisory was initially proposed to the Board of Directors of NAACP during the organization’s Florida State Conference in Orlando in March.

"Once again, hate-inspired state leaders have chosen to put politics over people. Governor Ron DeSantis and the state of Florida have engaged in a blatant war against principles of diversity and inclusion and rejected our shared identities to appeal to a dangerous, extremist minority," Chair of the NAACP Board of Directors, Leon Russell said in a statement.

Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony, president of the NAACP Detroit branch, which is the largest in the nation, told the South Florida Times the travel advisory is a call to action in an effort to stop DeSantis and his administration from attacking diversity and Black history.

Anthony said DeSantis, who’s gearing up for a presidential run, is using his position to boost his chances at winning the 2024 presidential race at the expense of Blacks and other races.

"He’s banning spending money on diversity programs that benefit America’s sons and daughters, Blacks, Whites, Asians and Araibs," Anthony said. "It’s a call to action to take action to stop this negative action taken by DeSantis as he seeks the highest office in the land, seperate people who occupy the land. We will not allow him to do it."

Anthony said the travel advisory will impact him personally because he has relatives who live in Florida.

"I love coming to Florida to visit them," he said. "But it’s a sacrifice I have to take."

DeSantis couldn’t be reached for comments.

When the travel advisory was first proposed in March, DeSantis called the NAACP’s call for a boycott a joke and ridiculed the travel advisory.

“What a joke,” the governor said after responding to a reporter’s question about the NAACP proposed travel advisory boycott. “What a joke. Yeah, we’ll see, we’ll see how effective that is.”

DeSantis said the NAACP is pulling a stunt and he won’t waste his time worrying about the travel advisory.

“This is a stunt to try to do that. It’s a pure stunt and fine, if you want to waste your time on a stunt, that’s fine. But I’m not wasting my time on your stunts," DeSantis said.

DeSantis said the travel advisory will not be effective because Florida is a major tourism hub, as millions of people visit the Sunshine State to enjoy the beaches among the many amenities the state has to offer.

Harold Ford, president of the NAACP South Dade branch, told the South Florida Times the local office is in full support of the travel advisory.

He said it’s disturbing what DeSantis has done to try to erase Black history.

"When you look at it, Black history is American history," Ford said. "DeSantis doesn’t like that and he’s allowing the teaching of lost causes of post Civil War stories."

Marsha Ellison, president of the NAACP Broward branch, said the travel advisory is necessary to warn nonFlorida residents what they may be facing if they are Black, gay or immigrants.

"We are not saying don’t come to Florida," she said. "What we are saying is you should be informed if you decide to come and understand what you will be facing if you are in one of these groups. It’s a travel advisory, not a band. It’s a call to action."

Eillison said since DeSantis took office in 2018, he has sponsored legislation that targeted minor groups including an anti-protesting act in the wake of the death of George Floyd in Minnesota.

"Under his administration, he didn’t want people protesting and enacted the anti-riot act," she said. "He wants to shut people up and if you protest, you get arrested."

But U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, a Black Republican from Southwest Florida, denounced the travel advisory.

“This is just really stupid. It doesn’t make any sense,” Donalds said on Monday’s “Fox & Friends. “Look, I’ve lived in Florida since 1996 after I graduated high school. I went to college, got married, started a career, you know, lived a normal life, went to church, raised kids, coached sports.

The NAACP travel advisory is the third for the state of Florida.

Last week, the Latino advocacy group League of the United Latin American Citizens urged people to avoid traveling to Florida ahead of the governor’s new immigration that that will take effect on July 1.

The law requires employers with more than 25 employees to check their immigration status using the E-Verify federal database.

Employers who don’t comply with the law face fines of $1,000 per day until they provide proof that their workers are legal citizens.

Last month, Equality Florida, the largest LGBTQ civil rights group, also issued a travel advisory for Florida over anti-LGBTQ laws by DeSantis.